Operating mechanism



March 8, 1938.

R. BUSH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 20, 1955 lnvefi t or: Ralph R. Bush,

ttorngy.

His

Patented Mar. s, 1938 2,110,658

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,110,658 OPERATING MECHANISM Ralph E. Bush, Manoa, Upper Darby, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 20, 1935, Serial No. 41,505 8 Claims. (Cl. 175-341) My invention relates to operating mechanisms, ing the surface it is ground about the center of more particularly to trip-free mechanisms of the pin 4 so that there is perfect rolling action during solenoid-operated type, and has for its principal the entire tripping cycle. That is, the surface It object the provision of improved mechanism of is tangential to the radius from the link pivot l 6 the aforesaid type which shall be comparatively so that when the plunger 2 and link 3 are re- 5 simple and rugged in construction and eflicient, strained by the prop 9, the roller 6 cannot move reliable and positive in operation. in vertical direction. Once tripped, theroller 6 My invention will be more fully set forth in is forced by opening of the breaker to roll up the following description referring to the accomthe curved surface I4. This same curved surface 10 panying drawing, and the features of novelty assists in resetting of the link with minimum 10 which characterize my invention will be pointed shock when the link is raised. The surface I5 is out with particularity in the claims annexed to also circular shaped so as to reduce shock durand forming apart of this specification. in'g resetting. A radius very nearly equal to the Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is an elevaradius of the roller blends the long radius of surtional view, partly in section, of a solenoid-operface H into the roller stop surface l5, thereby l5 ated mechanism in actuated or closed position further reducing the shock of resetting. The maembodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar terial in the link is distributed so as to give view illustrating the mechanism in the tripped maximum strength and even distribution of and reset position prior to the operating stroke stress with a minimum moment of inertia.

of the solenoid. For the purpose of tripping the mechanism 0 The mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises through the link 3 and permitting clockwise rosuitable actuating means, such as a solenoid l tation of crank 5, a trip hammer l'l, pivoted at having an operating plunger 2, a main operating I8, is connected to a tension spring [9 which is link 3 which is pivotally connected, as at 4, to held under tension by a latch 20. When the one end of the solenoid plunger, and a crank 5 latch 20 is released, such as by actuation of the 25 pivotally mounted at 5, one arm of which coacts plunger 2! of a tripping solenoid 22, the spring through a roller 6 with the link 3 and the other I! snaps the trip hammer I! in clockwise direcarm through an interconnecting link 1 to the tion with such force that when the hammer enmeans to be actuated at 8. The rod 6 in the gages the link 3 the latter is moved clockwise present instance can be connected to a circuit by the impact to a position where the roller 6 30 breaker (not shown), the operating mechanism is no longer restrained by the surface iii. The in such cases closing the breaker, and tripping crank 5 is then free to rotate clockwise, the rollor release of the mechanism causing opening of er 6 moving into the upper portion of the link 3. the breaker. In order to minimize the possibility of acci- As illustrated, the mechanism is in the actudental tripping due to vibration or other causes, 35 ated and restrained position and is held in such the trip hammer i1 is provided at 23 with a pin position by a prop 9 pivotally mounted on the or the like which in the latched position lies bemechanism frame at ill and biased by a spring neath a lug or extension 24, forming part of the II in clockwise direction against a stop l2 so link 3, so as to prevent clockwise movement of as to abut at its lower end at IS a shoulder of the link 3. That is, when the trip hammer is 40 the solenoid plunger 2. With the main operating latched the main link 3 is likewise latched. Howlink 3 in the-position shown, the crank 5 is reever, it will be noted that the pin 23 moves clear strained with respect to clockwise rotation or of the lug 24 to unlatch link 3 when, the hammer opening movement. is rotated clockwise by its spring for tripping the Referring more particularly to the coaction mechanismr 45 between the link 3 and crank 5, the link 3 is pro- The resetting means for the mechanism will vided with an interior cam surface ll which is be clearly understoodby further reference to formed by cutting away a portion of the link 3 Fig. 2. when the crank 5 rotates clockwise durand which is engaged by the crank roller 3. The ing the tripping or opening operation, crank arm -surface ll forms a pocket I! in the link, one I, in moving towards the left, engages the prop 5 surface 16 of which is so designed that when en- 9 so asto rotate the prop against the bias of its Yg'ag' ed by the roller 6, crank 5 is-restrained from spring to the vertical position, releasing the solerotat'ing clockwise in the position shown. noid plunger 2. The plunger is then raised by a The 'shape' of the cam surface defined by the compression spring 25 which is compressed dur- 56 .main 'link 3 serves several purposes- For latch; ing the closing stroke of the mechanism. The

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spring 25 is connected to the plunger by an arm 26, which is pivoted at 21, and provided with a bifurcated extension 28 for engaging the pin 4. The arm 26 may likewise be provided with an extension 26' for cooperation with a bar so that the mechanism may be manually operated.

In addition to raising the solenoid plunger for another operating stroke, the tensioned spring 25 lifts the link 3, as illustrated by Fig. 2, so as to reset the roller 6 in the pocket l5. As previously described, the cam surfaces of link 3 coact with roller 6 so that there is a minimum shock during this operation. This link resetting operation is further aided by a light spring 3' tending to bias the link 3 counterclockwise so that the stop surface l5' engages roller 6.

The arm 26 likewise causes resetting of the trip hammer H by reason of the engagement of the arm and the extension H of the trip hammer. This not only causes counterclockwise rotation of the hammer I! for positioning it in front of the latch 20 but also places the spring l9 under tension for another tripping operation.

The mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 is, therefore, in readiness for a reclosing operation which is effected by energization of the solenoid I, causing downward movement of the plunger 2 and link 3. Engagement of the tangential surface IB and roller 6 causes upon further movement of the plunger counterclockwise rotation of the crank 5 for closing the circuit breaker, etc. As the plunger 2 is drawn within the solenoid coil, the arm 26 is rotated clockwise and the spring 25 compressed so that the hammer i1 is free to be pulled by the spring l9 into engagement with the latch 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

- As crank arm 1 moves towards the right away from the prop 9, the latter is biased by its spring ll towards the plunger 2 so as to restrain the same when it reaches the end of its stroke.

It will be noted that the mechanism is tripfree during the main part of the .1 operating stroke; that is, the tripping operation is effective immediately after the initial movement of the solenoid plunger 2 during which it resets the trip hammer l! to release the crank 5 notwithstanding continued movement of the solenoid plunger 2 into the coil. Upon actuation of the latch 20, the impact trip functions to disengage the link 3 and crank 5 regardless of continued closing movement of the solenoid plunger.

It should be understood that my invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Operating mechanism comprising actuating means and means to be actuated, an anti-friction member carried by one of said means, a link pivotally mounted on and carried by the other of said means for disengageably coacting with said member and interconnecting both the aforesaid means for effecting operation of said means to be actuated, releasing means other than said actuating means coacting with said link for causing reverse operation of said means to be actuated, and means for resetting said link with respect to said member in accordance with the operation of said means to be actuated.

2. Operating mechanism comprising solenoid actuating means and means to be actuated, a roller carried by one of said means, a link pivotally mounted on and carried by the other of said means having a slot including a recessed portion forming an interior cam surface for coacting with said roller, operation of said actuating means causing simultaneous movement of said link and roller to actuate said means to be actuated, releasing means other than said solenoid actuating means arranged to move said link and cam surface at said recessed portion with respect to said roller, and means for resetting said link with respect to said roller in accordance with the operation of said means to be actuated.

3. Operating mechanism comprising an operating solenoid, means to be actuated and a disengageable connection between the plunger of said solenoid and said means, and a prop biased so as to engage and restrain said plunger in the operated position thereof, said means to be actuated arranged so as to engage said prop and release said plunger in response to release of said disengageable connection.

4. Operating mechanism comprising actuating means and means to be actuated, a disengageable connection between the aforesaid means, a trip hammer for disengaging said connection and causing reverse movement of said means to be actuated, and a latching device positively interconnecting said trip hammer and connection in the operative restraining position thereof for preventing accidental disengagement of said connection, said latching device being arranged so as to free said connection only when said trip hammer is actuated.

5. Operating mechanism comprising an actuating solenoid and a crank, one arm of which carries a roller, an operating link pivotally connected to and carried by the plunger of said solenoid, said link having a cut-away portion including a pocket having a cam surface arranged to engage and restrain said roller so that actuation of said plunger causes rotation of said crank, a resiliently biased trip hammer arranged to engage said link so as to free said roller with respect to said cam surface thereby permitting reverse movement of said crank, electromagnetic tripping means for releasing said trip hammer, a spring arranged to be tensioned during the operating stroke of said plunger, means for releasing said spring in response to said reverse movement of said crank for resetting said plunger and link for another operation and for resetting said trip hammer, and means for resiliently biasing said link in said reset position so that said roller is received by said pocket.

6. Operating mechanism comprising actuating means and means to be actuated, a link arranged disengageably to connect the aforesaid means, tripping means coacting with said link for disengaging said connection, and separate latching means arranged positively to hold said link in connecting position, said latching means being released only by and in accordance with actuation of said tripping means.

'7. Operating mechanism comprising actuating means and means to be actuated, a disengageable connection including a link between the aforesaid means,'tripping means for causing movement of said link to a disengageable position, latching means between said tripping means and link for positively holding said link in connecting position until actuation of said tripping means, means holding said link in actuated position, said means arranged to be released in response to disengagement of said connection, and a spring coacting with said link and arranged to be tensioned during the operating stroke of said actuating means, said spring being effective upon release of said link to move said link to a reset position reestablishing said connection and likewise effective to reset said tripping means, the subsequent operating stroke of said link engaging the aforesaid latching means.

8. Operating mechanism comprising actuating means and means to be actuated, a link for disengageably connecting the aforesaid means pivotally mounted with respect to one of said means,

and a roller operatively connected to the other of said means, said link having an elongated slot terminating at one end in a lateral pocket within which said roller operates, said slot and pocket forming a continuous cam surface, one side of said pocket forming a surface which is tangential to the radius from the point of the pivotal support of said link, the inner side of said pocket forming a stop surface for said roller, said stop surface merging into a surface of greater radius, and tripping means for moving said link with respect to-said roller to disengage said connection, said roller during relative movement of said link and roller being in rolling engagement with the aforesaid tangential surface, said roller in the releasing position being out of said pocket and at the opposite end of said slot.

RALPH R. BUSH. 

